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Turel Meresin
A foreign noble corrupted by forbidden magics and wielding demonic powers, served by the Shadow Court. Turel Meresin Age: 75 (appears 27) Race: Abomination Personality: '''Turel's defining vice was pride when he was mortal, and his link to a Demon of Pride has only accentuated it effects. To most, he projects an aura of unshakable calm and confidence, his arrogance tempered by a rapier wit and stunning acts of generosity. These are, of course, a front intended to purchase good will on Turel's behalf. He regards the common man as he would an ant, as beneath his notice unless in the possession of something he values. The exceptional draw far more of his attention, but even then they are resources to be drawn upon, nothing more. While this is largely a result of his pride, it also stems from Turel's failure to protect Kara, the pain of which forces him to be emotionally distant. Were he to find someone worthy of his affections or his trust, he would likely make an unwavering ally, their well being coming under the blanket of his obsessive self worth. Turel currently seeks nothing more than a safe haven in which he can explore his corrupted nature further, as hints of more potent powers have haunted his dreams. However, were he to feel sufficiently secure it is likely he would attempt to expand his power, his ambition let loose from its cage. '''History: Turel Meresin was born Turel Andiam, son of a wealthy and influential merchant family in the southern kingdom of Wraen. A naturally gifted child, Turel displayed a mastery of a number of subjects early in life, even exhibiting some magical potential. Overjoyed at the though of a magically talented heir, Turel's father managed, at great cost, to procure an apprenticeship with the Archmage Gethem Yaris in the capitol city of Aenara. Turel was sent to live with the elder mage when he was fifteen, unprepared for what awaited him. At Gethem's estate, Turel found a new world of academic challenge and magical experimentation, but the greatest discovery awaiting him was Gethem's ward, Kara. Over a tempestuous two month affair, the two young mages fell deeply in love, and though Gethem attempted to put an end to it he eventually gave his blessing. When they graduated, Turel and Kara looked forward to an idyllic life together. That is, until Turel's father arrived with word of an arranged marriage for his son. When the Andiam patriarch found out about his son's intent to marry Kara, he confronted her, accusing her of seducing his son. Distraught, she left the estate in tears, eventually finding herself in the old port of Aenara. Trying to find her way home, Kara was set upon in the streets of Aenara by a pack of thieves. Stripping her of everything she had, they proceeded to brutalize and murder her. When her body was found floating in Aenara's canals, half eaten by fish, Turel went mad. Disregarding the comforting words of his friends and family, he dove into the Aenaran underworld, determined to root out the gang that murdered Kara. However, while his magical skills and his family's name allowed him to eventually discover the identity of the brigands, Turel's rage and pride goaded into confronting them in their hideout alone. Though he fought bravely, the experienced criminals quickly overcame his minor magics and subdued him. It was then that Turel learned the horrible truth, that the thieves he'd been hunting had long ago given in to the maelific temptations of the nether realms and transformed into Demons of Greed. Not content to simply kill Turel, the demon gang held him for days, slowly torturing him, pelting him with questions about the nobility of Aenara, about his father's holdings, and about Gethem's powers. The demons wanted it all, and so long as they thought him capable of helping him they kept Turel alive, trapped in a cramped black cell, his body rent by rusty knives and branded with fire, his arms and legs broken repeatedly, filth and starvation slowly devouring him. But despite it all, Turel never gave in to the demons, never submitted to their will, and so after a week they decided to end it. Dragging his broken body from their underground lair, they dumped him in one of the many canals, expecting him to drown and trouble them no more. But Turel fought, determined not to be defeated, and managed to drag himself, screaming in agony, into Aenara's fish market, where he was quickly discovered by his father's mercenaries. It took Turel years to recover from his ordeal, the finest doctors in the city only able to do so much for injuries that had gone so long untended. His body was constantly wracked by fevers, and his broken limbs healed into misshaped, knobby wrecks. In one week, the vibrant scion of house Andiam had become an old man, and his fearful temper at his condition was legendary in his father's house. But even in the fog of pain and failure, Turel never forgot the slight paid on him by the demons. His failure to avenge his love ate at Turel's mind until he could take it no longer. Venturing into the dark places of Aenara once again, he sought out forbidden magical texts, ancient secrets outlawed by society for millenia. He studied those black arts, and eventually struck upon a way to regain his shattered pride and avenge his lost love - he would bind his soul with that of a Demon of Pride, most powerful and demanding of the fiendish hierarchy. For months, Turel gathered the necessary ingredients, with a single truth looming at the back of his mind. For ancient magics carried a price, and the binding of so mighty a spirit as a Demon of Pride would require the blood of a family member. Finally, the night arrived when Turel's preparations were complete and he hobbled into his father's study. Whispering Kara's name, he slit his father's throat and dragged his warm corpse into Turel's workshop, where the summoning circle had been prepared. Anointing himself with rare herbs and the black blood of his sire, he summoned the demon and forced it into his own body, dissolving its soul into his, until demon and human were inseparable. The ritual restored Turel's body and greatly enhanced his magical powers at the cost of his sanity, and he set upon his quarry with a fiery passion. The Demons of Greed had been far too much for a simple apprentice mage, but against the full force of a far superior demon they scattered like chaff, struck down by the terrible magics that Turel let rage out of control. An entire district of Aenara was lost that night in a maelstrom of fiendish power, and when it was over Turel was gone, abandoning his family name and taking with him a vast quantity of his inheritance, leaving the rest to burn. Over the next few decades, Turel hid at the periphery of society, using his wealth to buy the privacy and comfort he required. However, the demonic corruption in his soul was not satisfied with the life of a recluse, and as his funds waned he realized he needed a plan. Contacting a failing Merchant Company, Turel offered to finance them in return for control, and they accepted gladly. Using his noble education and demonic charm, Turel infiltrated the noble house of Drael, goading them into instigating the War of Three Chimeras. Turel's Merchant Company was poised to provide the house with arms, and grew fat off the spoils of a twenty year war while Turel spent more time honing his abilities. When the war ended, the Crimson Circle disbanded on Turel's order and he disappeared. Turel has recently made his way to Bastion, where he intends to make his permanent home. The tragedy of his homeland all but forgotten, he intends to carve a niche for himself into the city's nobility, using the skills that began the War of Three Chimeras and his fantastic wealth to his best advantage. Selected Excerpts ''' '''Bonuses: Close Combat +5, Mid Combat +5, Long Combat +5, Charm +1, Charm Nobility +6, Charm Intellectual +2 Advantages (40/40): *Wealth IV 4 - Low Social *Nobility III (Duke, Master of Trade) 3 - Low Social *Charm I 2 - Mid Social *Strength I 2 - Close Combat, Low Utility *Intelligence I 2 -'' Low Utility, Low Social'' *Hellfire II 6 - All Combat *Cunning I 5 - All Combat, Mid Utility *Demon Summoning I 6 ''- All Combat, High Utility'' *Teleportation I 10 ''- All Combat, High Utility, High Transportation, Control Range'' Estate Advantages (1/1): *Luxury II 1 - Low Social